The U.S. Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily withhold around $4 billion required to fully support a food assistance program for 42 million low-income Americans in the midst of the ongoing government shutdown. This move allows a lower court more time to review the administration’s petition to only partially finance the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November. The temporary stay, issued by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, is set to last for two days.
Following an emergency request by the administration, the court’s decision aims to pause a judge’s order from Rhode Island that mandated full funding of the program by Friday. The administration had proposed emergency funding of $4.65 billion to cover a portion of the SNAP benefits for the month. The U.S. Department of Justice argued that upholding the judge’s ruling would lead to disruption during the shutdown period.
Judge John McConnell, appointed by President Barack Obama, accused the Trump administration of holding back SNAP benefits for political motives. The judge mandated the use of emergency SNAP funding to supplement this month’s expenses, with the shortfall to be covered by funds from a separate program supporting child nutrition.
A coalition of legal challengers, including cities and non-profits represented by Democracy Forward, welcomed the court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of providing timely food assistance to those in need. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s plea to halt McConnell’s ruling, prompting the Justice Department to seek intervention from the Supreme Court.